DESCRIPTION No thesis selected The area of research that interests me most is virus based human gene therapy. I am interested in many areas of basic virology, including virus/host cell interactions and membrane fusion. Of particular interest to me are the biophysical interactions between viral and cellular proteins that occur during receptor binding and membrane fusion. Studying these interactions may lead to a clearer understanding of the basic mechanisms of viral entry may help to explain viral tropism, as seen in human diseases such as HIV or the common cold. Furthermore, new therapeutic strategies may be developed based on better understanding of the molecular and atomic interactions that are taking place during viral attachment and entry into host cells. One of the applications of virus/cell interaction research that I especially interested in is rational design of more effective gene delivery vectors. Development of better vectors is likely to be a very important step in making the theoretical application of gene therapy a reality. I am drawn to these areas of investigation because they are fresh, important, and largely uncharted.